Survival
by Valondra Deva Phoenix
Summary: Kazuya Mishima goes head to head with Mafia princess Diandra San Giacomo after the Mishima Syndicate moves into the New York mob scene.
1. Prologue Rivals

"Survival"  
  
  
  
I'll never be an angel, I'll never be a saint, it's true. I'm to busy surviving, whether it's heaven or hell, I'm gonna be living to tell, so here's my story. No risk, no glory, a little up and down and all around, it's all about survival.  
  
--Madonna  
  
  
  
Prologue ~  
  
New York City  
  
The rain was beginning to come down a little harder as a black Lincoln Navigator wound its way through the back alleys of the Eastside shipyards. A few minutes, the vehicle came to a halt in front of the shipyards many warehouses. Anthony DiSilva and Martin Wilson were standing out in front of the warehouse when the Navigator came to a stop. They were extremely nervous for they knew their boss was not going to be very happy, after all, they were in the middle of a fight with the Japanese over control of the shipyards. Needless to say, the news would only add more fuel to the fire that was already beginning to burn out of control between the Italian mob and Japanese yakuza.  
  
Anthony and Martin approached the SUV. The right rear door opened and out stepped Tony Lucci and Terrence McMahan, two of the boss' bodyguards. Last but not least, the boss herself stepped out, Diandra Lourdes San Giacomo. At twenty-four, Diandra was the youngest person ever to head up the San Giacomo Syndicate, not to mention the most ruthless and feared of the crime bosses. Her father Francisco San Giacomo decided that after his retirement his 'little girl' should take over the family business, especially after she was the one responsible for the increase in monetary profits over the last two years. She was referred to as the 'Queen of Ice Hearts' because of her ruthlessness. Diandra wasn't afraid of taking a rival or someone who failed her out of the picture; she had worked as an assassin for a few years before taking helm from her father. So it was with good reason that Anthony and Martin were worried.  
  
"What is this about?" she asked the two men once she was out of the vehicle. "Jerry called and said that it was an emergency, so it better be worth my while."  
  
"Y-yes, ma'am," Martin shuttered as he looked at Anthony. "Let's go inside. I believe if you saw it, then you will understand the situation better."  
  
"Whatever just make it quick." The two warehouse workers led the way to the warehouse, followed by Diandra and her two bodyguards. She was dressed for the weather for she wore a sleek black, form-fitting catsuit with a zipper front and a floor-length black leather trench coat. As they entered the warehouse, the first thing everyone noticed was the horrid smell coming from within the building. "What the hell is that f**king smell?" Tony asked as he covered his nose with a handkerchief.  
  
"You'll see," Anthony quietly replied. The dim lighting was barely enough for the group to see their way around, that was until they reached the middle of the building. "Here it is."  
  
Diandra stepped forward, muttering 'what the hell' as she took in the gruesome sight before her. There in the middle of the warehouse laid the mutilated bodies of five warehouse workers. Their hands, noses, and feet had been cut off and their throats had been slit as well. Blood was everywhere. Diandra clenched and unclenched her fists several times before she was able to regain her composure. "How long have the bodies been here?" she asked.  
  
"Probably two, three days at the most," Anthony answered. "Marty and I came to check on the shipment that was due in but instead this is what we found."  
  
"And the shipment?"  
  
"Gone."  
  
Tony walked up to the bloodied bodies and picked up a piece of white, bloodstained cloth. Walking back over to Diandra, he said, "Take a look at this." Embroidered on the lower right hand corner of the cloth were the initials KM. Kazuya Mishima. Diandra San Giacomo's rival for control of the docks.  
  
"I'm gonna kill that motherf**king son of a f**king bitch," she muttered aloud as she turned on her heel and stormed out of the warehouse. This time the score between her and Mishima was personal. For two years, she had put up with his 'persistent' trespasses on her turf, his constant taunts and insults, not to mention theft of important shipments. It had to end, even if it meant one of them dying to accomplish that.  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
Kazuya Mishima was in the bed, sleep when the phone began to ring. Rolling onto his side, he turned on the nightstand lamp and answered it. "Hello," he mumbled into the phone as he sat up in bed.  
  
"Kaz, it is done," said a low voice at the other end of the line. It was his brother Lee Chaolan. "You should have the murderous look on San Giacomo's face when she came out of the warehouse. If looks could kill." "She was that pissed, uh?"  
  
"Yeah, Satan in a black catsuit is more like it. She was livid."  
  
Kazuya smiled. He had accomplished exactly what he had set out to do; make Diandra San Giacomo blow her lid. "That's probably an understatement, Lee. Knowing, San Gi, she'll probably want revenge."  
  
"I was thinking the same thing, Kazuya. You know the old saying, 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' Only thing is, San Gi is no rejected lover. S**t, if I were her lover, I would be too scared to dump her."  
  
Kazuya chuckled lightly at his brother's statement. "So would I. Listen, I have to go. I have a phone call I need to make. Check in with me in the morning."  
  
"Okay. Goodnight."  
  
"Goodnight, Lee."  
  
Kazuya then lay back against his pillows and dialed the number. The phone rang four times before she finally answered. "Hello," an irritated female voice said on the other end.  
  
"Hello, San Giacomo. How did you like your surprise?"  
  
She was silent for a few minutes before she finally said, "You're going to pay for that, Mishima! How dare you come onto my property and steal my shipments?!"  
  
A smile of satisfaction played upon his lips as Diandra continued to rant and rave. He always found pleasure in making others lives miserable, but it was even more pleasurable making Diandra San Giacomo's life hell. "I take that as a no."  
  
"Oh, shut the f**k up," she sneered. "Just for pissing me off, I gonna f**k you and your little Syndicate up."  
  
"Hey, hey women are not supposed to use foul words."  
  
"Go to hell, Kazuya!"  
  
"After you, San Gi. I hear the weather in hell is nice this time of year."  
  
A minute later, he heard a click; she had hung up on him. 'Pissy little bitch,' he thought as he hung up the phone and turned off the light. He had a meeting in the morning with several associates and therefore, needed his sleep. Diandra San Giacomo would simply have to wait until after the meeting. However, he still had the satisfaction of pissing her off that night. Kazuya smiled to himself as he tried to imagine the murderous look on her face when she found the bodies of the dockworkers. In the world of organized crime, there was no such thing as 'playing fair'. The name of the game was survival, it was either survive or go down in flames. If it was a war she wanted, he had just granted her wish. 


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One ~  
  
  
  
The early morning sun found Diandra in her home office going over documents from the last six months. Six shipments of firearms and other high-powered weaponry had been stolen from the shipyard on nights when she was either out of town on business or on vacation. Could Kazuya have a mole within her organization telling him the dates of certain shipments? The thought resounded in Diandra's mind as she leaned back in her large, black leather executive chair. 'Mishmash just picked a fight with the wrong woman,' she said to herself as she massaged her throbbing temples. The whole situation was giving her a major headache, especially when it came to her mysterious rival. Even though she had gone to school with Kazuya back in Japan, there was still a lot she did not know about him. All she knew was that the 'arrogant bastard' was moving in on her operations and she was not about to allow that to happen. The phone in the office rang, distracting her from her thoughts. "Hello," she quietly said when she picked up the receiver.  
  
"How's my favorite princess doing?" It was her father who was now enjoying his retirement by traveling the world with her mother.  
  
"Tired and upset, daddy," she said, rubbing her eyes. "How's mom doing?"  
  
"Great. We left Greece yesterday and now we're heading for the Mediterranean for three weeks. Care to tell me what's going on, Dian?"  
  
Sighing heavily, she answered, "It's a lot of things, dad. I was just looking over documents from the past six months and I've noticed that six shipments had either been stolen or never arrived at their final destinations. Not to mention that the Japanese are moving in on business."  
  
"You mean Mishima?"  
  
"Yeah, the most arrogant son of bitch to have ever walked the earth. He called me last night after I found five of my guys mutilated on the floor of one of the warehouses. He had them killed to get my attention. Unfortunately, the bastard's got it."  
  
"Diandra, I sorry about the loss of your men but you mustn't do anything hasty to Kazuya. Remember, his father and I made the agreement interfere in other's operations or to harm the other's families. That's the straw that always breaks the camel's back in an organized business."  
  
"I know, daddy, but I still say that you and Heihachi were dumbasses to have made such a deal knowing how much Kazuya and I hated each other. Besides, he started this whole thing with stealing merchandise that was not his. Do you know what I had to go through in order to keep certain customers from finding out what's happening to their goods?"  
  
"My fatherly advice to you is to play it clean, Diandra, unless, and that's a strong UNLESS, he forces your hand. Never show a rival your cards until you're absolutely sure that you have the upper hand in the game. Mishima is a powerful man; he has even more influence than his late father."  
  
"Influence, please! The man couldn't influence a whore into bed even if he was a sex god."  
  
Francisco San Giacomo had to laugh at his daughter's last remark. "You definitely inherited your mother's sense of humor, girl. But seriously, Kazuya Mishima has more friends in high places than the U.S. Government has CIA agents in Europe and the Middle East. So watch your back, darling, he could call out a hit on you at anytime."  
  
"Not if I call the out a hit on him first, daddy. After that little setup at the warehouse last night, I highly doubt he'll be showing his face around town anytime soon. He knows that I have it in for him, but when and where I'll nail him, he doesn't know."  
  
"Just as long as you do not go after his brother, San Gi. Remember, man to man, not man to family; that's a coward's way of handling the situation."  
  
"Thanks for the blessing, daddy. Give mom my love."  
  
"I will and I love you, princess."  
  
"I love you too, daddy. Call me when you get to the Mediterranean."  
  
"I most certainly will, you can count on it. Bye, love."  
  
"Bye, dad." A smile played upon her full lips as she hung up the phone. Deep down inside, she and her father both knew that he had made a deal with the devil when he and Heihachi agreed not to go after each other's families. Since then, things have changed. Heihachi had been dead for six years and Francisco San Giacomo had been living in retirement for the last three years. Kazuya and Diandra were now the heads of their respective crime families. They had contacts in all over the world, and one false move on either part would result in bloodshed in various parts of the world. The San Giacomos' were survivors, having been in the mob business for over seventy years while the Mishimas' were new to the forum. Diandra turned the chair around to look out the window. She had to do something about Mishima and had to do it fast. He was determined to move in on her territory and she was determined to keep him out of it. 'I ran the Gambinos out of town and business. And now, the same fate awaits the Mishima Syndicate....'  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
Kazuya straighten his blue silk tie as he rode the elevator up to his office. Whenever the thought of Diandra passed through his mind, a slight smile came to his lips. The Mishima Syndicate may have been new to the New York mob scene but it was outdoing the Italians at every turn. He knew that the San Giacomos' crew had figured out that he was the one responsible for the missing shipments of firearms over the last six months. The shipments were safely tucked away in a storehouse in Chinatown until he decided when bidding on the freights were to begin. He made a mental note to invite San Giacomo to the bidding; he would just love to see the expression on her face when she sees her merchandise up for grabs on the black market. Lee was already in Kazuya's office when the president and CEO of Mishima Zaibatsu entered the room.  
  
"Good morning, Kazuya," Lee said as he got up from Kazuya's exec chair. "I just stopped by to give you a memento from last night." He picked up a large manilla folder and handed it to his brother. "You will be most pleased."  
  
Kazuya set down his briefcase and took the folder from Lee. Inside were several black and white photographs of Diandra at the warehouse. The expressions on her face were priceless. He laughed as he studied the photographs, especially the ones when she was on the phone. "How did you get these?" he finally asked.  
  
"I have my contacts. A guy I knew was in desperate need of cash, so I made him an offer he couldn't refuse. He's a former fashion photographer you know, can you believe that?"  
  
"I believe it from the excellent quality of the pictures. Very nice touch, Lee. I was having a little difficulty imaging the expressions on San Gi's when I called her on her cell."  
  
"What did she say?"  
  
"She called me a few choice words before she threaten to quote "f**k me and the Syndicate up," unquote. She was livid. Of course, it also gave me satisfaction knowing that I screwed her over pretty well."  
  
Lee tried unsuccessfully to suppress his laughter. "I can't believe this is the same sweet little Diandra San Giacomo we went to high school with. I wonder what happened to her that made her so bitter toward you."  
  
Kazuya looked up from the photos and said, "It was something that happened back in high school, Lee. Something that I don't care to get into right now."  
  
"Fine by me. Oh, guess who I ran into on the way over here?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Benicio San Giacomo."  
  
"Francisco San Giacomo's brother. I haven't seen him in years."  
  
"He told me to tell you that he's throwing a huge bash over at the Four Seasons in Manhattan tonight and that you are invited. I'm pretty sure that his lovely niece will be there as well." "I'll have to give him a call. Showing up that bitch of a niece of his will be the highlight of the night. I'm sure that she'll have a few 'kind' words for me as well. It would be nice to check out that figure of hers in person, see."  
  
Lee took the photo Kazuya held out to him. It was a full-length photo of Diandra in the infamous black catsuit and black leather trench coat. "Stunner," he whistled. "Jay, the guy who took the pictures, said that she's almost five-ten and weighs between one-forty and one-fifty five, making her a very curvy size 10/12."  
  
Kazuya raised an eyebrow at Lee's observations. Lee shrugged his shoulders and added, "That's coming from a guy who used to photograph models for a living, the lucky bastard. He said she would make a nice centerfold if only she weren't a Mafia princess. Rumor has it that she just as ruthless as you, Kazuya."  
  
A frown darkened his face as he looked at Lee. A woman as ruthless as he was, Kazuya balked at the thought. How could any man or WOMAN for that part, be as ruthless and cold-hearted as he was? There was no comparison. Kazuya then pressed the intercom button and asked the secretary to look up the number for Benicio San Giacomo. "I think I'll go to San Giacomo's party just to show up that niece of his. You can come if you wish, Lee."  
  
"I wouldn't miss it for the world. The expression on her face will truly be *priceless.*"  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
Diandra crossed her long legs as she sat in the back of the limo with her bodyguards. She never trusted them, so why even have people she didn't trust protecting her. Because Daddy said so. Diandra loved both her parents but felt they were too restrictive when it came to her personal safety. Her father insisted that she have bodyguards, considering the fact that she would become a marked woman once she was at the helm of the family business. 'So much for handling my own private business,' she thought as she tugged down the hem of the black asymmetrical skirt she wore, paired with a dark purple wrap-around top and strappy black, high-heeled sandals. 'I worked as an assassin for crying out loud. I can handle my own personal safety.'  
  
When the limo pulled up in front of SG Pharmaceuticals, Diandra and her guards got out and went into the lobby of the building. Her Uncle Benicio was expecting her for lunch. Taking the elevator up to the thirtieth floor, Diandra adjusted her top and smoothed down her thick, waist-length jet- black hair. The bell dinged and they got off. Benicio San Giacomo's secretary greeted Diandra and asked her to wait as she notified her uncle of her arrival. A few minutes later, she was sitting in her uncle's massive office sipping on a Sprite while her uncle was on the phone with a customer. The pharmaceutical firm was a legitimate part of Diandra's mob business, as well as two fish factories, three shipyards, a hotel chain (Sheridan Inn and Suites), and countless small businesses. Life was good within the San Giacomo family.  
  
"Of course you can come without an invitation. Why do think I told your brother to tell you about the party, my friend? You'll be there? Great, you are coming for lunch? Of course Diandra won't mind, the more the merrier. Okay, bye," Benicio said to the person on the phone." Hanging up, he finally turned his attention to his niece. "My darling, it is so good to see your beautiful face again," he said as he went up to Diandra and embraced her. "You're beginning to look more and more like your mother."  
  
"Thank you, Uncle Benni," she replied as she sat back down in her seat. "You look well."  
  
"Business is good, San Gi. By the way, did you get the invitation to the bash Helena and I are having over at the Four Seasons tonight?"  
  
"I got it last week. Don't worry; I wouldn't miss it for anything. Working on another business deal?"  
  
"No, that was an old friend. I hadn't seen him in almost two years. I saw his brother in town this morning and told him to pass the party invitation on to his brother for me. He called me to let me know that he would be there."  
  
"Who was it, Uncle? I have plenty of business dealings in this town, I probably know him."  
  
Benicio raised an eyebrow at Diandra. "You'll see him at the party, my love. You might know him when you see him."  
  
"You're not trying to set me up with him, are you? You and Aunt Helena are bad about that," Diandra said as she drained her soda can. "So who is it?"  
  
"No, no my Italian Mona Lisa," Benicio said shaking his finger at his niece. "You are a tricky one to fool. He said that he was in the neighborhood and will be joining us shortly for lunch. I hope you don't mind."  
  
"Not at all, Uncle Benni. It's your company and building, I'm just an investor with no say so on your business dealings."  
  
Benicio and Diandra talked a while before the secretary came in to announce the arrival of Mr. San Giacomo's lunch guest. Diandra turned around in her seat to see who the guest was; her cheeks turned dark scarlet when she saw him. She clenched her fist so tightly that she let nail marks in the palm of her hand. So her uncle's 'old friend' was the dirty bastard who set her up the night before. Her blue-violet eyes blazed with hatred when he and her uncle walked over to where she was sitting.  
  
"Kazuya, I believe you know my niece, Diandra San Giacomo," Benicio said, ignoring the building tension in the air.  
  
"We've met. In fact, we went to high school together," Kazuya replied as he sat down in the chair next to Diandra. "Are you this day, San Gi?"  
  
"Go to hell, Mishima," she muttered under her breath as she turned away from him. Her uncle should have known better than to invite her rival to lunch, especially when he knew that she was coming to visit. From the corner of her eye, she checked out Kazuya's attire. He wore a dark navy pinstripe suit, a white shirt, a blue silk tie, and black wingtips. 'He looks like a f**king pimp for crying out loud,' she thought to herself. 'How could Uncle Benni be such a dumbass in having that bitch for a friend?'  
  
Kazuya smiled sardonically at Diandra as he studied her figure. 'Impressive, impressive for a vindictive bitch,' he thought. 'She was a major bitch in high school, and now she's a major bitch running an organized crime ring. I wonder how many people she had to knock off to get to the top, or should I say 'screwed'?'  
  
This was going to be one of the longest lunch appointments of their lives. They only had to go an entire hour without trying to kill each other. The mutual look of disgust Kazuya and Diandra exchanged said it all; the gloves had officially come off. 


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two ~  
  
Diandra managed to get through lunch without yielding to the desire to do physical harm to Kazuya. Even though she acted civilly toward him, it did stop her from thinking about the many ways she could get to him. Kazuya merely smiled smugly at her whenever she looked his way, for he knew that he had Diandra backed against a wall. As long as they heeded the pact their fathers made, there was nothing she could do to stop him from using her docks without setting off a major mafia war. For the time being, she had to be on her best behavior in front of her uncle.  
  
When lunch was finally over, Diandra kissed her uncle and left the office. Kazuya soon followed. Just as she stepped into an empty elevator, Kazuya put his hand between the closing doors to make them open again. "Ground floor, miss?" he asked as he pushed the lobby button.  
  
"Go to hell, Mishima," she sneered at him. "That little trick you pulled last night was cute, real cute. I'm sure it took you a while to think that one up?"  
  
"No, not really, San Gi," he smoothly replied. "It didn't take me very long to think that one up after you decided to bomb one of my limos. Fortunate for me it was empty."  
  
"You lucky bastard," she mumbled under her breath. "Something told me that I have put the explosives under the second limo."  
  
"Do you realize that you are a royal bitch?"  
  
"Do you realize that you are the most sadistic, arrogant, son of a bitch that I have every met, Kazuya Mishima? In case you haven't noticed, I own this town, including this building. You came onto MY turf, my playground causing trouble. And it's gonna get worse the more you insist on violating my rules of order."  
  
Kazuya smiled sardonically at Diandra as he pushed the 'stop' button. He then cornered her on against the back of the elevator and whispered in a low, almost seductive voice, "Perhaps you are right about owning everything, my dear Diandra. But I must warn you, I don't response well to threats, especially petty ones."  
  
"Oh, how quickly we forget the past, Mishima," she retorted. "Don't forget that it was I who convinced the SOA that it was for their own good to spare your life." ('Society of Assassins'). "You don't know badly the members of the SOA board wanted you dead, including me. I would have profited greatly from your death, Mishima."  
  
Kazuya's blood began to boil at a dangerous rate as he stared down his rival. "It would give you great pleasure to see me dead, would it, Diandra?" he asked in an almost demonic tone.  
  
"It would be pure bliss."  
  
He gritted his teeth for several tense moments for the temptation to knock her lights out was almost too much for Kazuya to bear. In fact, he just wanted to strangle her for all the trouble she had caused him in the past; this included calling the Japanese authorities on him. She smile sarcastically at him and said, "What's the matter, Mishmash, cat's got your tongue?" Before Diandra realized what was happening, she turned her head to the side just as Kazuya drove a punch right into the metal wall of the elevator. The sound of the impact sounded like the roll of loud thunder during a bad storm.  
  
Kazuya had a possessed look in his eyes when his gaze returned to the mob princess. "Consider that a warning, San Gi," he said to her. "Next time, I won't miss." Just then the elevator doors opened on the lobby level and he walked out like nothing happened. Diandra was slumped against the wall in shock. The sound his hand made when it connected to the metal haunted her mind as she caught her breath. Even though she didn't want to admit it, Kazuya had scared the living daylights out of her. After gathering her wits, she stepped off the elevator just as Tony came up to her.  
  
"Are you alright, boss?" he asked, "Cause you're white as a ghost."  
  
"Look at the wall of the elevator." Before the doors were fully closed, the two managed to get a look at the large, shallow dent left by Kazuya's fist. Diandra shuttered with the thought that it could have been her face.  
  
"Sweet mother of Jesus, what the hell did you say to him?"  
  
"My usual shtick, and let's just it didn't go over too well with him. Thank goodness it wasn't my face his fist connected with; better the wall than my face. Oh and Tony, if you breath a word of this to anyone, I will have you're ass on a silver platter." Without another word, Tony followed Diandra out of SG Pharmaceuticals and into the waiting limo outside.  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
Kazuya wasn't in the talking mood when he got back to the Tekken Zaibatsu's New York office. Sensing that their boss was seething about something, most of the employees stayed out of his way as he went up to his high-rise office. Before he went inside, he instructed his secretary that he was not to be disturbed for any reason. After closing the heavy black lacquer door behind him, Kazuya sat down in his exec chair turning it so that he could look out the window. His hand was throbbing like mad with pain. Looking down at it, he noticed that it was beginning to turn an ugly shade of purple. The bruising and pain didn't bother him too much for he had taken worst from his father. After years of being beaten by the elder Mishima, he was used to the pain and bruising any fight or punch may have left on his body.  
  
San Giacomo had some nerve pissing him off on that elevator. If only he had her alone in a room, then she would have really caught hell from him. 'She had that coming to her,' he thought as he gently prodded his bruised hand. 'Next time the bitch decides to piss me off, she will surely get everything she deserves. And I don't give a damn if it messes up that lovely face of hers. All I know is that I will be the one to ruin it. She asked for it and I will give it to her.'  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
Later that afternoon, Diandra smoked a Cuban cigar after she got off a conference call with some of her associates. The Mishima Syndicate was already becoming more trouble than she had originally thought for some of her contacts in Milan, Italy said that Mishima's friends were setting up shop in that city. She practically owned all the warehouses in Milan. The one thing that puzzled her the most was why he moving some of his operations to Italy? He knew the Italians would not tolerate a Japanese businessman moving into their districts, unless he paid them all off handsomely. 'The bastard always seems to get his way,' she said to herself as she flicked some of the cigar ashes into a black granite ashtray. 'Of all the bastards and b***hes in the world, HE has to be the one crocking up my ass.' She took a deep drag off her cigar then blew out a large smoke ring. After putting it out in the tray, she grabbed another one from the cedar box from her desk, clipped the end, and then lit it as Tony walked into the room. He was a bit taken aback to see his boss smoking a cigar. He knew she disliked cigarettes, but cigars? The sight puzzled him.  
  
"Relax, Tony," she muttered as she flicked a few ashes into the ashtray. "I don't smoke cigars on a regular basis. I only do it when I am serious pissed about something. Want one?"  
  
"Cuban cigars?"  
  
"Only the finest for the belladonna of the Mafia, help yourself," she said, motioning to the cigar box on her desk. "A gift from a contact of mine in Cuba." She then leaned back in her chair and put her bare feet on top of the desk. Tony clipped his and lit it before he sat down in one of the chairs across from Diandra.  
  
"You sent for me, boss?"  
  
"Yeah, I came up with a way to tell Mishmash thank for the 'lovely' present he left for me in the warehouse the last night. Have you ever heard of 'Golden Dragon Enterprises'?"  
  
"Uh-uh, they're a bunch of warehouses located in Chinatown. Rumor around there have that Mishima made the previous owner 'disappear' in order to claim them. Why?"  
  
"Because I have a job for you and the boys to do for me; I want you all to blow up the one located on Shanghai Avenue. I heard he had a stash stored there and I want whatever is stored there burned to a crisp. I'll sleep easier tonight knowing that I wreaked some havoc on his life, you know what I mean?"  
  
"Sure, when do you want it done?"  
  
"Tonight while I'm at Uncle Benicio's party at the Four Seasons. I promised him that I would be there; and that was before I before I found out Mishmash would be there."  
  
"It's as good as done."  
  
"Excellent, now get out of my sight. I have things to do before I get ready for the party tonight. Go on now; get out of here before I wreaked havoc in your life."  
  
"Yes, ma'am," he said as he quickly got up from his seat and went out the office. Diandra then turned the chair around to face the cathedral window. The New York skyline was visible from her office and the awesome sight of the skyscrapers and the George Washington Bridge never failed to impress her. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she blew out another large smoke ring. Being the head of a major crime family was not the easiest job in the world, better yet, being a Mafia princess wasn't an easy job. But in the often times brutal worlds of the mafia and yakuza, you had to make choices and decisions that can affect the way one is viewed by their peers. And Diandra had already established herself as one of the most brutal, ruthless crime lords ever to head the San Giacomo crime family. She had showed them all that she wasn't taking any stuff from anybody, including relatives. After all, she personally had silenced one of her cousins after he threaten to turn her over to the FBI after she refused to give him money. He was now sleeping with the fishes at the bottom of the Atlantic. Needless to say, no else had dared to challenge her authority as mob boss.  
  
She put out the half-smoked cigar and sighed deeply as she turned to look at the clock on her desk. She had three hours before she had to get ready to go to her uncle's party. A sinister smile came to her lips when she thought of her plans for that night. This party was going to be a blast, literally. 


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three ~  
  
  
  
The sun was beginning to set over the New York skyline as Diandra's private limo crossed the George Washington Bridge heading for the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Manhattan. She, Tony, Terrence, and two other bodyguards; Jonny DiSilva and Darren Wilson rode the entire way in silence. The guards dared not to stare too long at their boss for she was not in the best mood. Just before they left her mansion for the party, Diandra received phone call from an associate in Milan, Italy. Whatever it was he told her had made her so upset that she hurled an expensive crystal vase into the red brick wall over the fireplace in the living room then shattered a cherry wood bench pieces by swinging it into a marble pillar. Needless to say, they had found their reason to stay out of her way at the party.  
  
Diandra pulled her mirror compact out of her black evening bag and checked her make up. She smiled with satisfaction that her temper tantrum hadn't ruined her face. "What the f**k are you staring at, DiSilva?" she barked when she caught him looking at her.  
  
"No-nothing, San Gi," he answered nervously. "I was just thinking about how nice you look in that dress, that's all."  
  
"Oh, well thank you for the compliment," she calmly replied. "That bastard Mishima's got me all worked up."  
  
Tony's eyes stretched a little when Diandra hinted at the source of her foul mood. He looked at the others as if to say, 'Whatever you do from this point on, do not, I repeat do not piss her off at all costs. Make her mad and you will pay dearly.'  
  
The limo driver tapped on the window dividing the front from the back before letting it down. "Miss San Giacomo, we're here."  
  
"Thanks, Frankie," she replied before he let the window back up. "Okay, guys, for your information I'm flying solo at this party. I'm sure Tony has informed you of my little surprise for Mishima."  
  
They all nodded in agreement. "I want it clean. That means no fingerprints, absolutely nothing left behind that can be used as evidence if the police should decide to investigate. No slip-ups, one mistake on either of your parts; you're ass is mine. GOT IT!"  
  
"Yes, ma'am," they all murmured as an usher opened the limo door. "Have fun, boys," she said as she got out. After adjusting the black floor- length, wrap dress she wore, Diandra closed the door and walked up the short flight of steps and went inside the hotel.  
  
"Diandra's got a nice ass and all but she's mean as hell," Jonny remarked as he breathed a sigh of relief once his boss was out of sight. "I would be afraid to go to sleep after doing her."  
  
"You're afraid she'll take your 'manhood', Jonny?" Tony chuckled.  
  
"No, I'll be afraid that she'll kill me afterwards, you know, like the black widow spider. After the female mates with the male, she kills him either by poisoning or eating him."  
  
Tony, Terry, and Darren busted out laughing at their comrade. "I'm serious, guys; I wouldn't put it past her. I look at this way: you sleep with her, you fall asleep in her arms, and then BOOM you've got a knife in your heart."  
  
"Jonny, man, you've got quite an imagination," Terry said. "I believe you when you say San Gi would probably kill her lover, especially if he 'disappointed' her."  
  
"Man, I already pity, Mishima. He doesn't know what kind of hell she has in store for him. If we were to place bets on this situation between her and Mishima, my money's on the boss-lady. There no way in Satan's f**king hell he's going to survive this encounter with the spawn of Satan."  
  
"I have to agree with Jonny on this one," Tony said as he lit a cigarette. "If this turns into a bloodbath, it's gonna be Mishima's blood dripping from San Gi's hands."  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
Kazuya and Lee were standing near the entrance to the phone banks taking in the scenery. Kazuya kept his battered hand concealed in his pants' pocket for he didn't want anyone asking what had happened to it. 'If only I actually hit the f**king bitch,' he thought as he sipped on a glass of gin tonic. "Do you see Satan yet?" he finally asked Lee.  
  
"The devil incarnate in a dress, no not yet. Considering what happened on that elevator today, I wouldn't be surprised is she doesn't bother to show up tonight," he replied. "But then again, Diandra San Giacomo is not you 'average' woman."  
  
"Ain't that the truth," Kazuya mumbled under his breath. "I wouldn't be surprised if she does show up. Spiting me in any way she can only gives her the motivation to show up, Lee. It would make her night to say the least."  
  
"I'm still trying to figure out what you did to her to make her hate you so much. What did you do, screw her on a one night stand then left without saying 'thank you' or 'goodbye'?"  
  
He glared at his younger brother and Lee immediately got the message. "Okay, so you didn't screw her. Just a guess, I mean, I wouldn't blame you if you did. After all Diandra is one fine-assed woman. I definitely wouldn't mind a one-night stand with her."  
  
"Speak of the devil, here she is in all her glory," Kazuya said when he saw Diandra make her entrance into the ballroom. The black wrap dress she had on fitted snugly to her figure, showing off every voluptuous curve of her body. The thigh high slit on the left side ended four inches below her hip showing plenty of leg. Her long jet hair was gathered up into a loose French pleat with locks of silky curls hanging about her lovely oval face to soften the style. Kazuya cocked his brow at her in disgust; to him she was nothing more than a virgin whore in designer clothing.  
  
"Like what you see, brother," Lee asked him. "I must admit, I most definitely like what I see."  
  
"Lee, you like anything in a skirt and anything that's says its female."  
  
"I resent that, Kazuya. No wonder you can't seem to get a date."  
  
"I don't need a woman to make me happy, unlike some people I know. All women are just cheap thrills that give you a temporary high while you kill time. They're nothing more than a distraction for the male mind."  
  
"Kaz, you have a really twisted view of women, you know that."  
  
Kazuya smirked slyly at Lee before he drained the rest of the gin from the glass. "Here, hold this. I see an opportunity I can't pass up."  
  
'Why do I have the feeling that she's going to bitch slap him before the night is over?' Lee thought to himself as he watched his older brother disappear in the crowds, heading for a meeting with the devil herself.  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
Diandra was looking for her uncle when Kazuya walked up to her. Her eyes flickered with the intense hatred that had been burning deep within her soul for so long. He had a sheepish smile on his face as he looked down at her. "Go to hell, Mishima," she said in a low threatening voice as she stepped around him. Kazuya grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back. His touch was burning the bare skin of her shoulder. "Will you please remove your filthy hand from my shoulder? And I'm only asking once."  
  
"Only if you would talk to me, it's very important," he whispered to her.  
  
"What do you want this time?" Kazuya removed his hand from her shoulder as she folded her arms over her ample chest. "And you better make it worth my while before I start bitch slapping you all over the place."  
  
"I would like to see you try that, San Gi," he muttered under his breath. "I suppose you've heard the news."  
  
"What news?"  
  
"About your uncle selling SG Pharmaceuticals to the Tekken Zaibatsu."  
  
"Liar! He would never sell SG Pharmaceuticals without first consulting with me, Mishima. Even if it were true, the deal would never go through."  
  
"I'm serious, Diandra," he said in a softly, gentle tone. "Benicio asked me if I was interested in buying out SG Pharmaceuticals. I told that I would have to think about it for a while."  
  
"Bulls**t, if you expect me to believe that my own uncle would sell a part of my property to you, you have to be out of your f**king mind if you expect me to believe that bullcrap. Besides, he doesn't even own SG Pharmaceuticals, I do. I own the building, I hold the deed to the land its sits on, and I'm silent partner and financier to the business. Nice try, though."  
  
"What if I told you that legally, I can take SG Pharmaceuticals from under you?"  
  
"I would say don't waste your breath on a situation you can't win."  
  
"All I have to do is call up the US Attorney's Office in Albany, tell them of your little mob enterprise, give them the evidence, and then watch and wait until after they seize all your properties, business, assets, and back accounts. One phone call, Diandra, and everything you own is mine."  
  
Diandra narrowed her eyes as she stared right into those dark, obsidian eyes of her rival. "I'm calling your bluff, Mishima. You make that call and you can forget about living a life of peace and tranquility; because I'm gonna make your life a living hell. I'll make sure you never go to sleep both eyes closed, because fear and certain death will be your constant companions."  
  
Kazuya leaned closed to Diandra's ear and whispered, "That we shall see about, San Gi. Don't forget, I know where you live also. You put a contract out on me and I will guarantee that you never sleep another day without looking over your shoulder."  
  
"We'll see about that," she sneered as she stepped around him one more and walked away. A sinister smile of satisfaction played upon his lips as he watched her make her way through the crowds. Kazuya knew that he had struck a nerve with Diandra, he had succeeded in striking fear into the cold- hearted bitch for her eyes echoed the fear he had so longed sought out in her. She had played right into his hands, or was it the other way around?  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
Diandra immediately went into the ladies' room and after making sure that she was alone, she pulled out her cell phone and punched in the number to an associate in Milan. After several rings, a groggy male voice answered. "Mario, it's me, we've got a problem."  
  
"What is it?" he replied in halting English. "Can we speak in Italian? You know how horrible my English is."  
  
"Fine. I want you to find out why Mishima is doing business in Milan, Mario. He's hinting something and I want to know what it is."  
  
"You must have seen him."  
  
"I did, in fact Uncle Benicio invited him to a party, which I am attending at this moment. He threatened to call the US Attorney's Office on me, detailing my business dealings. Then I want you locate all the building and properties in and around Milan that belong to either the Tekken Zaibatsu or Mishima Syndicate; once you do, start destroying everything he owns. I want out of Milan and any other place in Italy he decides to set up shop."  
  
"It's as good as done, Lady San Giacomo. One question, why is Benicio hanging around the bastard?"  
  
"I don't know yet. Uncle Benni refers to Kazuya Mishima as a friend but what kind of friend? Do what you have to do find out any information on the Mishima Syndicate in Milan. Money is not a problem."  
  
"Good deal, San Gi. It will give the boys something to do."  
  
"Call me with whatever information you have on the Syndicate. Then tell the boys to get ready to have fun. And the most important thing is to leave no eyewitnesses and no evidence. The last thing I need is to have the Italian and US authorities on my ass. Got it?"  
  
"Got it. And don't let that son of bitch spoil your fun at your uncle's party. Tell your Benicio and Helena hello for me, and if possible, bitch slap the bastard Mishima for me."  
  
"I'll Aunt Helena and Uncle Benicio hello for you, Mario. But as for bitch slapping Mishima, I'll have to think about that one. I'm wearing a new dress and I don't want to ruin it, but if the opportunity should present itself, maybe. You have a goodnight, Mario."  
  
"And you have a pleasant night, boss lady."  
  
Diandra ended the call and tucked her phone back into her purse. She then pulled out her compact and powdered her nose and forehead. Her confrontation with Kazuya caused her nose and forehead to shine. After calming herself down, she exited the ladies room and rejoined the party.  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
It was almost nightfall by the time Tony, Terry, Jonny, Darren, and a few others finished wiring the explosives to the warehouse on Shanghai Avenue. As Terry set the charges, the others stood guard watching for signs of the Syndicate's guards. "All set," Terry said as he stood up. "Now all we have to do is take the detonator back to San Gi. I think she'll get a kick out of doing it herself."  
  
"She will be most pleased," Tony concurred. "Let's get out of here before anyone sees us."  
  
The four guards for the San Giacomo mob climbed back into the waiting limo and rode off into the night.  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
Kazuya watched from a distance while Diandra talked and laughed with various guests at the party. He had to admit that she was a gorgeous woman but still she was too hot-blooded for his taste. For a brief moment their eyes met, the fires of hatred were still smoldering in her eyes. 'I'll own you one day, Diandra. I'll be the master to whom you bow.'  
  
A few moments later, something else caught his attention. Four men dressed in black walked into the ballroom and went straight to the table to where Diandra San Giacomo was sitting. One of them leaned and whispered something to her and almost immediately got up and walked into an adjacent room. "What the f**k?" he muttered as he motioned for Lee to come over. "Who where those guys talking to Diandra?" he asked Lee.  
  
"I recognized two of them as Tony Lucci and Terrence McMahan, members of her security detail. The others are unknown to me."  
  
"Find out what they're up to. Their presence here disturbs me, and knowing San Gi, she's probably plotting something that involves me."  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
The lounge was empty as Tony led Diandra to a table in the corner with a laptop computer set up. Jonny pulled the chair out for her as she sat down. Tony then handed her a pen, a pen with a red button on top. The detonator. "Excellent picture," she commented as she looked at the crystal-clear picture of the warehouse on the screen.  
  
"Which would you rather have?" Terry asked her. "A single view or the four- split screen view?"  
  
"Put it on the four-split view. I want to enjoy this moment from all possible angles."  
  
"There you go," he replied, the screen set to four views. The warehouse was visible from the front, back, and both sides. On the right-hand corner of the screen, the timer read 1 min and 10 sec until she could press the button. A twisted smile came to her lips as she watched the counter go down to zero.  
  
"Sayonara, warehouse 24," she said as she pressed the button. A minute later, the screens were filled with a fireball as the warehouse went up in flames. Pieces of debris were falling from the sky as smoke and fire filled the screens as the warehouse burned to the ground. "TNT for the brain," she then said as she handed the detonator back to Tony. "Thank you, I feel much better now."  
  
"Feel better about what?" a deep male voice asked from the shadows of the lounge. It was Lee Chaolan.  
  
"What the f**k do you think you're doing hiding in the shadows like a coward, Chaolan?" Diandra calmly asked him. Her bodyguards immediately backed up for they knew that things were about to turn ugly, very ugly. They often referred to her calmness as 'the calm before the catch-hell storm. She got up from her seat and walked over to the empty bar where Lee was standing. He didn't know whether to be angry or scared of the five-nine and a half belladonna as she stood only inches from him. "Your brother must have sent you to spy on me, Lee. It's just like you to jump like his little bitch whenever he calls."  
  
"You're a bold bitch yourself, Diandra. I've never met a woman as sneaky and conniving as you."  
  
Lee froze suddenly for Diandra had planted the spike heel of her shoe into his foot, causing him to wince slightly in pain. "What's the matter, Lee? Does your foot hurt?" she asked as she dug her heel deeper and deeper into the top of his foot. "You find dangerous women like myself appealing, don't you?"  
  
He gulped as he answered yes. She then put her hands on his chest and slid them up to his broad shoulders. "Nice build, Chaolan, only one problem."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"You're not man enough for me. In fact, you would be my bitch. I would be the daddy and you would be my bitch." Her heel pressed even deeper into his leather covered foot. "Now, I want you to relay a message to that asshole you call a brother. Tell him to go to Shanghai Avenue tonight and there he will find a surprise courteous of me. ." Lee felt himself becoming aroused by Diandra. His body ached with the sado- masochist desire to be punished by her but he wouldn't let her know that she was getting to him. He now saw why men were afraid of her; she was a threat to every man's sexuality. In her world, submission was the key to her dominating pleasure. "Um, San Gi, would you please quit digging your heel into my foot? You're-you're."  
  
"I'm hurting you? Of course, where are my manners?" She then drove her heel hard into his foot causing Lee to whimper in pain. Drawing his head down to her, she whispered seductively in his ear, "Give your bastard brother my message." After releasing him from her grasp, Lee limped out the lounge. Diandra smiled smugly as she turned to face her guards. They were all shivering in fear as she walked back over to them. After telling them to go back to the limo, she walked out the lounge and returned to the party.  
  
"That is one sick and twisted bitch," Tony remarked.  
  
"I agree with you on that one," Darren replied.  
  
Terry and Jonny nodded in agreement with their colleagues. They all felt a little sorry for Lee for they knew from personal experience that being a man in Diandra San Giacomo's world was both sexually humiliating and intimidating.  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
Lee was fuming by the time he got back to where Kazuya was sitting. "What's wrong with you?" Kazuya asked his brother as he sat down in the chair beside him.  
  
"That sadist bitch dug her spike heel into my foot then stomped on it. I have never met a woman who finds it amusing to torture others. Next time you want to find out what's she's up to, you go do it yourself."  
  
Kazuya suppressed a smile as he watched as his brother mumbled in pain. He had to admit that the woman had plenty of moxie to spare. "Oh, and also, she called me your bitch and told me to tell you that she left a surprise for you on Shanghai Avenue."  
  
"What kind of surprise?"  
  
"I don't know and I really don't care. All I know is that the bitch has one mean stomp. She must have put weights in her shoes before she came here tonight."  
  
"Here," Kazuya said as he pushed a packet of cigarettes across the table to him, "for all your trouble and pain and suffering."  
  
"Like that's gonna ease my pain," he mumbled under his breathe as he took the cigarettes and tucked them into his coat pocket.  
  
"Come on, we're leaving. I'm a little curious as to what Diandra left for me in Chinatown."  
  
Kazuya and Lee discreetly left the party, heading for the limo bound for Chinatown. 


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four ~  
  
  
  
Diandra was talking to her aunt and uncle when Tony came back inside the hotel. He waved his hand in her direction until he caught her attention. After excusing herself, Diandra quickly made her way across the ballroom to the entrance where Tony was waiting. "I thought I told you and the others to wait in the car," she said in an irritated tone. "You know how much I hate having my patience tested."  
  
"Sorry, San Gi," he said," but this is important."  
  
"Well spill it," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I haven't got all night, besides, it's rude to keep others waiting."  
  
"The guys and I just saw Mishima and Chaolan leave just a few minutes ago. Apparently, he's anxious to check out your surprise."  
  
"Really, I didn't even notice that the bastard and the b***h were gone."  
  
"What are you gonna do now?"  
  
"Wait, just wait. Have Freddie to drive ya'll around Manhattan for a while, I have some important business to tend to."  
  
"Not a problem," he said as he turned on his heel and went back outside the hotel to the waiting limo. Diandra smiled smugly as she went back to the party. This was only the tip of the iceberg for her and Kazuya, after all, there was so much more she had in store for him. 'You burn me once,' she thought as she went back to the table where she had been sitting, 'I burn you twice then three times or until I feel that you have learn your lesson about playing with Lady Death.'  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
Kazuya and Lee watched from their limo in disbelief at the chaotic scene outside. Shanghai Avenue looked like a war zone in a third world country. Debris from the warehouse and the two buildings that once stood beside it was everywhere. The FDNY and NYPD swarmed the scene trying to do their best to contain the blaze and the crowds that were beginning to form around the scene. Even members of the press were there covering the explosion. "Holy s**t, she wasn't lying about leaving a surprise for you, Kaz," Lee said as he lit a cigarette. "Whatever you did or said to her must have really pissed her off."  
  
"Diandra is nothing more than a vindictive b***h who thinks she's bigger than me in the underworld, that's all. And just because people refer to her as the 'Queen of Ice Hearts' or 'Satan in a skirt' doesn't mean that she's in my league or has the same level of ruthlessness as me."  
  
"Is it my imagination or did I actually hear a ring of worry in your voice?"  
  
Kazuya glared viciously at his brother. The look was enough for Lee to keep his mouth shut for the time being. After several tense moments of silence, Lee spoke again, "I'm curious as to what the h**l happened between you two that has led to all this? I've heard of a man and woman hating each other but not to this degree."  
  
Kazuya sighed heavily as he laid his head back against the black leather seat and closed his eyes. He silently debated as to whether or not to tell Lee the entire truth of his hatred of Diandra. He regarded it as a private matter for he considered himself a private person, not one to tell his business to the world. "I'll tell you the whole story after we get home," he finally said to Lee. "I have the feeling that I'm going to need a bottle of vodka to get through this story."  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
Diandra had finished her second glass of champagne when she told Benicio that she needed speak privately with him. After excusing themselves from the table, Diandra and Benicio walked arm and arm towards the lounge.  
  
"What is this about?" he asked her as he pulled the chair out for her. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end for the way Diandra was behaving was beginning to trouble him. She never acted this cold unless something was wrong, very wrong.  
  
"Oh nothing, it's about a rumor I heard about you and the planned sale of SG Pharmaceuticals to the Tekken Zaibatsu. Is what I hear true, Uncle Benni?" Diandra coolly replied.  
  
Benicio drew a deep, shaky breath as he sat in the chair across from her. The look in her eyes dared him to be evasive; eventually she was going to learn the truth, one way or another. "I may have mentioned the idea to a few people, San Gi, nothing serious. Why?"  
  
"Funny you should say that, because Kazuya Mishima informed me this evening that you asked if he was interested in buying SG Pharmaceuticals. Is that what that phone call was all about when I came to the office this afternoon? And remember to choose your words carefully, Uncle Benicio."  
  
Diandra's cold demeanor was beginning to alarm him even more. "I may have mentioned it to him, but not seriously."  
  
"Define 'seriously' for me? I'm curious as to how you see its meaning."  
  
"It's nothing definite, Diandra. What the h**l has gotten into you? You're acting like a mafia don that's been betrayed and is looking for revenge."  
  
The corner of her mouth twisted upward into a slight, sinister smile as Diandra folded her arms across her waist. "Don't play me for the fool, Uncle Benicio. Remember, it was I who bailed you out of trouble you out when the IRS was dogging you for eight years of backed taxes. If it weren't for me, you would have lost everything you owned; the cars, the houses, and all your bank accounts. Like it or not, you owe me. Now, tell me of this business with Mishima. I had the feeling you were hiding something the moment I stepped into your office this afternoon."  
  
"Fine, you want to know the truth? The answer is yes; yes, I asked Kazuya if he was interested in buying SG Pharmaceuticals. There you happy?!"  
  
"Not yet, tell me why all the deception? You know I don't approve of Kazuya. He's been the same arrogant a**hole who derives pleasure from others misery."  
  
"Sounds like someone I know," Benicio mumbled under his breath. He then took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his forehead. Being grilled by her was worst than looking down the barrel of a gun, a bullet ended your suffering while Diandra prolonged it.  
  
"What was that?" she whispered viciously as she grabbed his wrist.  
  
"Nothing, Diandra. I was just talking to myself."  
  
"Selling SG Pharmaceuticals to Kazuya Mishima is not as clear cut as you think, Uncle Benni," Diandra said as she relaxed against the back of her chair. "You failed to consider one thing."  
  
"And what is that?"  
  
"I own SG Pharmaceuticals, not you."  
  
"How the h**l-, how the h**l did you do that?" Benicio said angrily. "I built that company from the ground up. I invested my life and savings into that company and now you have the gall to tell me that I have no say so in selling?! You must be out of your mind!"  
  
"Sad but true, Uncle. That's the way it is." She smiled sardonically at her uncle as she watched him tremble at the thought of not owning the one thing he had nurtured and watched grow for so long. "You work for me."  
  
"How did you manage to snatch my own company from under me without rising flags?"  
  
"Two words, bought it. You see, when the IRS wanted their money, you had to sell off some of your stock and properties before I stepped into the picture, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"I in turn, bought your properties and stocks from the people you to whom you originally sold them to. Then came the matter of SG Pharmaceuticals, you didn't want to relinquish that to me, so I hatched a little plan. I called the IRS and that was when they began investigating your company finances. That only gave you two choices; either sell SG Pharmaceuticals or lose it to taxes. You choose to sell a percentage of it, and I bought it. I assumed you hadn't read the paperwork because if you had, you would have seen my signature on the documents and percentage of ownership."  
  
"You b***h, how could you do this to me?! Especially after all the things I have done for you! You're my niece, my blood and this is how you treat me?"  
  
"You did it to yourself, Uncle Benni," Diandra said as she stood up from her seat. "You bargained with the devil when you decided to lie on your tax sheet. Then you sold your soul when to him when you unknowingly sold SG Pharmaceuticals to me. Live with it. Don't do anything rash, because if you do, I know where you live. Kiss Aunt Helena for me."  
  
All Benicio San Giacomo could do was watch as Diandra walked out of the lounge. He had taken for a ride and not just by anyone, but his own niece. He had heard from other mobsters that she was cold, cunning, and ruthless but never in his wildest dreams had he ever expected to be conned out of his business by her, his own blood.  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
Kazuya went straight to the shower when he and Lee arrived back to his high- rise apartment. His mind seemed clearer and his thoughts flowed more freely whenever he was in the shower. He sat in the middle of the custom-built shower while the hot water from jets rained down upon his muscular body. Kazuya was lost in his own private world as the water played with his thick black hair, which was below shoulder length when not in its usual style. He ran his hands through his water-slick hair as he thought of the events that had transpired throughout the day. First, his meeting with Benicio San Giacomo; even thought he and Benicio were old friends, he was still a bit puzzled by his offer to buy out SG Pharmaceuticals. It was only a week ago that the Wall Street Journal had done an article about the company, stating that it was 'one of the most cutting edge, technically advanced pharmaceutical firms in the world'. Kazuya had also been impressed by their profits within the last year, over a billions dollars by year's end. Why would someone want to sell a company that has made the Fortune 500 top 40 from the time it came into existence?  
  
Then there was the little matter of Benicio's niece Diandra. Kazuya had gone to school with her when she and her parents moved to Japan for a while. From the moment they met, they never liked each other. She thought he was an arrogant bastard while he thought she was major b***h. However, Kazuya did have to admit that Diandra was extremely beautiful and that soft, curvy figure of hers was incredibly sexy. 'If only we didn't dislike each other so much,' he thought quietly, 'I'm pretty sure I would date her or have her as a lover.' A smile tugged at his lips with this thought, 'If only she wasn't such a vindictive b***h.'  
  
Kazuya slowly rose from his sitting position and turned the shower off. He then grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist then got another one to dry his hair with as he went back into his bedroom. Suddenly an idea about SG Pharmaceuticals struck him. 'Recheck their financial statements.' He went to his desk and turned on his laptop PC, there was something about SG Pharmaceuticals accounting that hadn't made sense when he first read over their books. When the laptop had booted up, he put the disk he had got from a 'friend' within the company, and put it into the disk drive and opened up the file. Maybe it would explain Diandra's behavior when he brought up the possible sale of her uncle's company. As he slowly scrolled down the pages of financial records and reports, Kazuya immediately noticed several payments made to an unknown person or company. The payments were made on a monthly basis to an overseas account. 'This interesting,' he thought as he stroked his chin, 'it appears the b***h is shaking down her own uncle.' He scrolled down a few pages until he came to an e-mail dated February 23:  
  
To: belladonnaenterprises@yahoo.com  
  
From: m_smith@sgpharmaceuticals.com  
  
Re: Canceling Funds Transfer  
  
Ms. San Giacomo  
  
You uncle has requested that the pending funds transfer be canceled do to an IRS audit. We cannot perform the task without arousing the auditors' attention. The amount ($250,000) will be wired to your account once the audit is complete. If you have any questions please call me at (280)555- 6707.  
  
  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Mark Smith Senior Manager of Accounting  
  
  
  
Kazuya leaned against the back of his chair and stared at the screen. 'Well, I'll be d**ned. San Gi is shaking down the old man. But why?' The question echoed through his mind as he thought up his own plan to shake up the San Giacomo crime family head. A twisted smile form on his lips as he continued reading the file. This plan was going to drive Diandra insane. 'Game set and match.' 


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five ~  
  
Two weeks later  
  
"So what are you planning to do with the information?" Lee asked Kazuya as he lit another cigarette. "I mean you just can't walk up to San Gi and say 'hey, I know you're bribing your uncle and I want a cut of the action'. You know how she will react to that."  
  
"I'm thinking about using this to my advantage, Lee," Kazuya said as he leaned back in the executive chair. They were in Kazuya's office, discussing the find on a computer disk in which Kazuya paid an employee inside SG Pharmaceuticals to get for him. "Only a cold-heated individual would go as far as to launder money through a relative's company then threaten to hand them over to the authorities if they don't comply."  
  
"Sounds like something you would have done if dear father was still alive."  
  
Kazuya frowned at his brother, tempted to hurl something at him for that remark but he decided to brush it aside. "What if I blackmailed San Giacomo into helping us with the little problem back home?"  
  
Lee took a long drag from his cigarette then said, "You mean take care of Sukahara for you? I don't know. She'll probably tell you to go to h**l and say some other not so nice things."  
  
"How can I go to h**l when Satan and Diandra San Giacomo are one in the same? You know the b***h isn't called 'Satan in a skirt' because she likes fire and torturing people with a pitchfork, though I believe the latter is true. She's a ruthless b***h who doesn't give a d**n about anyone but herself."  
  
Lee acknowledged that Kazuya had a point. "Even if you do blackmail her, do the benefits outweigh the consequences of such actions?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Kazuya asked, his curiosity suddenly piqued.  
  
"Remember what happened last time when you tried to take advantage of San Giacomo? She nearly took your a** out with a single gunshot."  
  
"Yeah, thankfully you had the sense to kick the gun out of her hand just as she was about to fire that shot. At least you proved yourself worthy to me in that sense, Lee."  
  
"If you feel that way about it," Lee replied, "then next time she wants to kill you're a**, I'll be more than happy to hand her the gun."  
  
Kazuya shot a hateful gaze in Lee's direction as he nonchalantly put out his cigarette. The president of Mishima Financial had more than enough matters on his troubled mind, and the last thing he needed was Lee being smart with him. Diandra San Giacomo was a threat to Kazuya, the Mishima Financial Empire, and the Syndicate. He needed to deal with her swiftly and quickly before things got way out of control. "What will you do about her?"  
  
"I have something in mind for the b***h; a nice pleasant surprise that she even won't be able to outdo. I'm sure one phone call from the US Attorney's office will have her running for cover."  
  
Lee snickered as a smiled appeared on his brother's face. Kazuya then picked up the phone and dialed a number to a house in Upper Manhattan.  
  
  
  
???  
  
  
  
Even though it was almost twelve o'clock, Diandra was still dressed in her nightclothes. She wore a black nightshirt that came down a few inches below the tops of her thighs, a long dark blue crushed velvet robe, and a pair of faux fur slippers. She pushed a wavy lock of her raven hair out of her eyes as she padded downstairs to the kitchen. Once she got there, Diandra set about making herself a strong cup of coffee. As she waited for the coffee maker to heat up, she saw that the maid had left her mail on the kitchen counter.  
  
"Bills, bills, junk," Diandra said to herself as she leafed through the stack of mail. Then a postcard caught her attention. On the front was a drawing of a nude Turkish odalisque reclining on a couch with her master. Diandra frowned as she turned it over; there was no postmark on the back. Whoever left the postcard must have known what time the mail carrier came. The timer on the coffee had gone off before she had the chance to read the first sentence on the card. She laid it down on the counter then when to get a mug. After pouring herself a cup of coffee, Diandra sat down at the counter and began reading the back of the postcard:  
  
  
  
Hello Diandra,  
  
Remember me? The person you tried to kill all those years ago. Well, it's my turn to make your life hell, San Gi. I want payback. Better start looking over your shoulder from now on. I have your lovely face in my sights and the vision of your precious blood dripping from my hands. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha  
  
Farwell to the flesh, my lovely Diandra.  
  
The color drained from Diandra's face as she laid the card back down and set her mug down as well. She had received death threatens before and they didn't scare her, but there was something about this one that made her skin crawl. Who else was watching her besides Kazuya? She cautiously picked up the card again as thought it was a sleeping serpent and re-read it, hoping to find a clue to the sender's identity. Just then, the phone rang, distracting her from her thoughts. "Hello," she said when she finally answered.  
  
"Hello San Gi." It only took her a moment to recognize the deep male voice on the other end as that of Kazuya Mishima.  
  
"What the h**l do you want this time?" she hissed.  
  
"When will you ever learn to be nice to me?"  
  
"The day the coroner pronounces you DOA."  
  
"Ouch, you cut me to the quick, Diandra," Kazuya said in a hurt tone. "I only called to ask you something."  
  
"Make it quick. I have better things to do besides being irritated by the likes of you."  
  
"How would you like to receive a visit from the US Attorney's Office?"  
  
Diandra laughed and said, "Oh really, Mishima? That's the best joke I've heard in ages."  
  
"I'm serious, Diandra. I know about the illegal funds you've been receiving from your uncle. What have you been doing to make him pay such a high amount every month?"  
  
"None of your d**n business!"  
  
"Oh and I was just about to ask you for some of it to keep me quiet. Oh well, have it your way."  
  
"You're one to be threatening me, bastard! By the way, thanks for the f**king porno card you sent me."  
  
Kazuya was silent on his end. He cleared his throat and asked, "What card?"  
  
"Quit acting like a f**king retard, Kazuya. You know the postcard you had one of your lackeys drop off in my mailbox. Cute, real cute."  
  
"I have no clue to what you're talking about, San Gi. Whatever it was you received in the mail did not come from me."  
  
"Go to h**l," she viciously hissed as she slammed down the phone. As she plopped back down on the barstool, Diandra began to reason that Kazuya might not have been the one who sent her the postcard. After all, he would have mentioned it the phone call just to irritate her. She picked up the card once again and re-read its haunting message. Only one person could shake her up like that, a person whom she thought was long dead. The past had finally come back to Diandra San Giacomo.  
  
???  
  
Diandra eyed the crowd in The Dinner Club suspiciously as she pretended to read the menu before her. The events of that morning still haunted her mind. Whoever sent her the postcard had been watching her for a very long time; they wanted her to be paranoid of her surroundings. "Is everything okay, San Gi?" Tony asked her when he noticed her discomfort.  
  
"Everything is fine," she snapped back. "Mind your business and keep a lookout for Mishima."  
  
"You're the boss," he sighed as he resumed reading his menu. "What do you recommend?"  
  
"Try the T-bone steak. And why are you asking me these irritating questions?"  
  
"You seem distracted by something and I was only trying to loosen you up a bit."  
  
"Well, do me a favor and quit while you're still ahead. Remember, I always hurt the ones who ask dumb questions every five seconds."  
  
Tony kept his mouth shut and honored his boss' request. Whatever it was on her mind, it was sure making her unusually irritable that night. He then checked out her figure in the strapless dark green dress she wore. The thigh high split fell open to reveal lots of thigh and leg, needless to say, Tony was impressed. Just as his eyes fell upon her cleavage, she sneered, "What the f**king h**l are you staring at?!"  
  
"Nothing, Diandra. Geez, what the h**l is wrong with you?" he sighed.  
  
He immediately came to regret those words when Diandra grabbed him by his necktie, yanked him over to the side, and then put a knife to his throat. "Come again, b***h. I'm sorry; I didn't hear you the first time."  
  
"I'm sorry, San Gi," he whimpered as she pressed the sharp edge of the blade into his skin. "I didn't mean it, really."  
  
"The next time you decide to disrespect me, Tony. You'll be sleeping with the fishes at the bottom of the Hudson." She then nicked him with the tip of the knife, drawing blood, before releasing him from her grip. Tony felt the side of his neck then looked down at his hand for blood. He then wiped the red smear on his napkin then looked at his boss once again. She simply gave him a satisfied smirk before return to her menu.  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
Kazuya adjusted his red silk necktie once more before heading into the living area of his posh New York apartment. He and Lee were going out to The Dinner Club in hopes of talking some sense into Diandra San Giacomo. He had to admit that the young woman had more guts than he had given her credit for, namely the balls to step on the toes of the old-timers. As he was adjusting the band of his gold Rolex watch the doorbell rang. He raised an eyebrow as he eyed the clock over the mantle of the fireplace. 'Who the h**l could this be?' Kazuya thought to himself as he walked to the front door. Through the peephole, he saw what appeared to be a woman wearing a black hat and a black leather trench with her back to the door. Cautiously, Kazuya opened the door and the woman turned around to face him.  
  
"YOU! What the h**l are you doing in New York?!" he said, his voice dripped with deep anger and hatred.  
  
"It's nice to see you too, brother," she casually replied as she squared her shoulders and meet the anger in his eyes with a calm stare of her own. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"  
  
"You must think I'm a dumba** b***h, Anyah. I thought you were dead."  
  
"As you know, Kazuya, I have nine lives. I'm beginning to regret ever having to save your life."  
  
Kazuya's eyes narrowed even more as he stepped aside and allowed Anyah into his apartment. She casually walked passed him and into the living room. "Nice place you've got here," she said as she removed her hat and shook out her long, black hair. "You've done quite well for yourself I see."  
  
"Cut the small talk, Anyah, and tell me the real reason why you're here."  
  
"You have some way of making your own sister feel welcome."  
  
"You're not my sister. You are merely an experiment that father created to be a killing machine."  
  
Lee then entered the room pulling on his black leather blazer. "Kaz, are- oh my God", he said. "Anyah? Is that really you?"  
  
"In the flesh," Anyah replied with a sly smile. Lee immediately embraced his sister and spun around with her in his arms. "It's really you. And for all this time I thought you were dead."  
  
"Panthers are always hard to kill," she quietly replied as he set her down. "Especially this one."  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
Diandra sighed deeply as she rested her head against the backseat of the limo. All the stress of the day was finally getting to her and all she wanted was to go home and take a hot shower. 'This is some fine s**t that's annoying me,' she thought to herself. Tony was smoking his menthol cigarettes as they rode in silence back to the San Giacomo estate. She gave him a slightly annoyed look but didn't say anything, after all she had put him through enough that evening at dinner. She felt a slight twinge of rare guilt for cutting him with the knife but she quickly pushed the guilty feeling out of her mind; she did not want people thinking that she had all of a sudden gone soft.  
  
Tony looked over at his boss as he exhaled a large smoke ring. "Um, thanks for the dinner," he said softly to her, breaking the tense silence between them.  
  
"You're welcome," she replied without turning to face him. "Just do me a favor and learn when and when not to open your cakehole next time."  
  
"Yes ma'am," he murmured. Diandra San Giacomo was one difficult woman to know. Even though he had worked for her for nearly four years, there was still a lot about her that he didn't know about her. Diandra rarely spoke about her personal life and he dared not ask for he didn't want his throat slit. The heavy silence settled back over them as the limo took the entrance ramp onto the loop; both completely unaware that they were being followed by a SUV.  
  
"Do you want a drink, Tony?" she asked him as she opened the bottom of the left jumper seat and pulled out a bottle of Smirnoff Ice Lime.  
  
"No thanks."  
  
"Whatever." She has just opened the Smirnoff when the limo was struck violently from behind. The impact sent Diandra flying to the other end of the limo and knocked Tony into the door. "What the f**k?" she mumbled as the limo was struck again. Tony struggled to regain his balance as he pulled out his Glock. He took aim at the windshield of the assailant vehicle and fired off several shots just before the SUV gave the limo another violent shove.  
  
"D**n," Tony said under his breath as he quickly reloaded the gun. "This bastard is persistent." Diandra crawled on the jumper seat and held on tight as she braced herself for another vicious impact.  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
"What the h**l? What do you mean he's still alive?" Kazuya hissed at Anyah. "I thought Diandra had killed the bastard!"  
  
"No," Anyah calmly replied. "He's alive and well and out for blood. He has it in for both of you."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"He feels that you betrayed him and that you could have prevented San Giacomo from attempting to kill him."  
  
Lee looked from his older brother to his younger sister in amazement. Even though they were of no relation to each other or so he thought, Lee was stuck by the similarities between Kazuya and Anyah. They both had wicked tempers, both were excellent fighters, and could out cursed any person in a single breath. Nevertheless, Anyah was more even tempered than Kazuya for it took a lot to push her to the brink of losing her temper. Lee knew better than to piss either one off for the consequences were very severe in both cases. "Anyah, how come you didn't take him out when you had the chance?" Lee asked his sister.  
  
"It wasn't my place, Lee. Besides, I'm not as dumb as genius Kazuya."  
  
Kazuya raised his hand and backhanded her across the face. Anyah's head snapped to the side as she fell on to the floor. She quickly got to her feet and straightened her clothes as Lee stepped evenly between her and a glowering Kazuya. "Kaz, chill out. She meant nothing by it."  
  
"Get that f**king freak of f**king nature out of my apartment, Lee," Kazuya growled under his breath.  
  
"Kazuya, you can't do that to Anyah. After all, she is family."  
  
"That's alright, Lee," Anyah said as she wiped the trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth, "I have to go anyway." Without another word, she picked her hat up from the table and headed for the door. After she was gone, Lee gave Kazuya a disgusted look then shook his head.  
  
"Was it necessary for you to slap the h**l out of her, Kaz?"  
  
"She was asking for it with that smart little mouth of her, Chaolan."  
  
"She didn't mean it, besides, she's our sister."  
  
"Anyah Oshida maybe your sister, Lee, but she sure as h**l isn't mine. Come on, we're already late for our meeting with the others."  
  
Lee shook his head once again as he followed Kazuya out of the apartment. The night was still but the heaviness in the air told him that there was more to come before the night was over.  
  
  
  
~~~?~~~  
  
  
  
Diandra groaned softly as she regained consciousness. "Are you alright?" she heard a voice say to her. She struggled to open her eyes and when she did, a bright light nearly blinded her. She was inside an ambulance.  
  
"What-what happened?" she whispered as a jolt of pain shot through her body.  
  
"You were in an accident, ma'am," the EMT replied to her. "The limo you were riding in was struck from behind by another vehicle. We're taking you to the hospital to check you out."  
  
"Where's Tony? What happened to the man who was riding with me?"  
  
"He's alright, ma'am. He was shaken up and worried sick about you. Does anything feel like it's broken?"  
  
"My whole f**king body feels like its been through h**l," she mumbled under her breath. The medic gave her a shot of morphine and not a moment later, Diandra closed her eyes and drifted into the arms of unconsciousness. 


End file.
